Just Like Old Times

August 9th, 2005

in 480 BCE, Spartan soldiers hold out against seemingly impossible odds at Thermopylae, defeating a much larger Persian force by holding a narrow pass against them. This makes them the preeminent city of Greece, and their method of rule – military dictatorship – becomes the norm across all of Hellas.

in the Dreaming, the stories of Wandjina were painted on the Sacred Rock. Should the Pindanjaru need him again, they could come to the Rock and sing to him, and he would come back from the backbone of the night.

in 1131 AUC, Roman general Valens barely manages to push the Visigoths from Adrianople in a bloody battle for the eastern half of the empire. Valens, who had once thought to make himself emperor, was killed in the fighting.

in 1678, the Manhattan tribe sold its island to Dutch settlers for a pittance. In 1758, the alien Mlosh assisted them in getting it back. This generated much ill will between the Dutch and the Mlosh, although Dutch colonists in North America became willing citizens of the North American Confederation in 1800.

in 1936, Jesse Owens just missed getting his fourth gold medal at the Olympics in Berlin when a German coach distracted him in the 400 meter relay by throwing a cup into his path. A brief moment of hesitation allowed the German runner to sprint past him, giving the Americans second place. Although there was a roar of protest from the American team, the heavily intimidated judges allowed the Germans to retain their medal.

in 1323, the faithful put an end to the conflict with the Nipponese by using a bomb that harnessed the power of the sun itself; not even as big as an elephant, a single bomb destroyed an entire city of the infidels, forcing the Nipponese emperor to surrender to the will of Allah.

in 1968, actress Gillian Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois. An accomplished performer on stage and television, she is best known for her work in the documentary series, The X-Files, which addressed the social problems of alien abduction and paranormal activity.

in 1996, Dr. Melvin Courtney arrives back in London after his German interview to find dozens of people camped out on his lawn. Some are wanting to debunk him; some want to follow him; and others simply want to see the man who found the Chimanimani object. Dr. Courtney plows through them and barricades himself in his house, regretting his choice of professions for the first time in his life.

in 2000, Li Huang-Sen’s plane is forced to land in Reno, Nevada, since there seems to be some sort of problem with the airport in Las Vegas. Li rents a car and drives to Vegas, where he finds his old associate Mikhail von Heflin and his new wife, Velma Porter, holding off the presence that once threatened both him and the Baron long ago. He joins the couple in their struggle and together, they manage to move the presence into the desert. “Just like old times,” he tells von Heflin.

in 2002, Pope Righteous I declares that a child born in Jesu, France, will be the antichrist, and orders that all children born in that city in that month should be put to the death. “God has decreed this, and we must obey the will of God,” he says to the shocked world.

in 2004, Dr. Emilio Carrera’s signal jammer gets its first test. A probe built along Lalandian design flies out to the edge of the solar system and begins monitoring the earth. Dr. Carrera activates his jammer, and it works for an hour; the probe is unable to detect the earth’s radio transmissions. Dr. Carrera’s success brings hope to the rest of the world that they can hide themselves from the galactic civilization of the Elders.


An alternate birthday wish

Your humble alternate historian is about to leave the pleasant decade of the 30's behind and enter into the downhill slope of the 40's on August 14th. Before he does, he would like one simple wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this birthday wish!

Thanks to everyone for their generosity!

We have raised a lot from your donations, for which we are VERY grateful! Our situation is no longer as dire, so we don't need to beg for help - thanks so much! Because we like including our readers into the site, though, we will still keep our offer open - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link - we need your comments on the possible new format to the site
New Poll - Tell us what you think! More or less repeats? Our fate may be in your hands!

Warp and Protocols still available